Fun with Dick and Jane (1977 film)
| runtime = 99 minutes | country = United States | language = English |gross=$13.6 million (US/Canada rentals) | budget = $4.5 millionStudios Are Picking Up More Films From Independents By ALJEAN HARMETZ. New York Times 26 June 1978: C18 }} Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 American comedy film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda. Directed by Ted Kotcheff, the film is caustically critical of the "anarchy" of the American way of life. The character names come from the Dick and Jane series of children's educational books, and the title is taken from the title of one of the books in the series. Plot Dick Harper is a successful aerospace engineer in Los Angeles, where he and wife Jane have a lovely house, with a swimming pool and new lawn under way. Due to financial reversals at the business, however, Dick's boss, Charlie Blanchard, suddenly fires him. Jane (Jane Fonda) takes care of their son, Billy. Dick and Jane owe more than $70,000 and abruptly find themselves with no income. His attempts to find other gainful employment fail. Jane lands a fashion modeling appearance at a restaurant that becomes a fiasco. Dick ends up applying for unemployment and food stamps, while Jane's wealthy parents, rather than helping, advise them to use this experience positively as a life lesson. Unable to come up with any other solution to their problems, Dick and Jane turn to a life of crime. They make an effort to select their victims judiciously – robbing the telephone company, for example, which makes the customers in line cheer. In time, Dick and Jane weigh their guilty consciences against their needs, trying to get back their old lives and stay out of jail. Cast * George Segal as Dick Harper * Jane Fonda as Jane Harper * Ed McMahon as Charlie Blanchard * Dick Gautier as Dr. Will * Allan Miller as Loan company manager * Hank Garcia as Raoul Esteban * John Dehner as Jane's father * Mary Jackson as Jane's mother * Walter Brooke as Mr. Weeks * Sean Frye as Billy * Fred Willard as Bob * Thayer David as Deacon * Burke Byrnes as Roger * Dewayne Jesse as Robber * Anne Ramsey as Employment applicant * Jon Christian Erickson as Transsexual * Jay Leno (uncredited) as Carpenter Reception Fun with Dick and Jane received mixed reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 54% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews. The film was Columbia's third highest-grossing film in the US in 1977 with rentals returned from the United States and Canada of $13.6 million. Remake The film was remade as Fun with Dick and Jane and released in 2005, starring Jim Carrey and Téa Leoni. References Bibliography * External links * * Category:1977 films Category:1970s crime comedy films Category:American satirical films Category:American crime comedy films Category:American heist films Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by Ted Kotcheff Category:Mordecai Richler Category:Termination of employment in popular culture Category:Films scored by Ernest Gold Category:Films with screenplays by Jerry Belson Category:1970s heist films